- 5 hours ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Let's go to the River Islands guest line and welcome in Steve Kerr, presented by Great Clips in Sports Successes about team effort, and the same is true for you here at Great Clips.
00:10It's going to be great. Get out to YouTube as well. Steve is joining us on video.
00:14Hey, Coach, what's going on?
00:16I'm good. How are you guys?
00:17We're doing fantastic. So, boy, lots to talk about coming out of this game.
00:22I love the conversations we've had through the years where you've sort of sometimes had to express, you know, sometimes I don't always show it, but I'm kind of fiery sometimes, and this year we're getting to see it.
00:35We got some more like arms-waving Steve Kerr on the sideline again last night.
00:41Yeah, I was a little riled up. I guess it was, was it late first or early side? I think it was late first quarter.
00:48Late first, yeah.
00:49Yeah, you know, we just made a couple defensive mistakes, mental errors, and so I was angry, and it happens.
01:00You know, I didn't break a clipboard. I was close, but I kept the clipboard intact, and the guys were great.
01:08I mean, you know, whether they responded to me or not, I mean, the whole point was just, you know, we've got to be better,
01:14and the guys were great the last three quarters, and really proud of them, and now we've got to, you know,
01:19take advantage of a little bit of momentum and see if we can go get another one tomorrow.
01:24Yeah, and a little bit of practice time and a chance to actually sleep in your own bed,
01:27and so you do now have the advantage of having a more tenable schedule.
01:32So did that add maybe a little bit to the early frustration last night where things are now breaking your way schedule-wise
01:37and your home against a team that you should be able to handle, was that all part of what culminated into that frustration?
01:46Maybe. You know, I mean, I think everybody was a little frustrated coming off the Portland game.
01:52That's a tough game. It's always a tough game coming back from a long road trip and, you know, not much recovery time.
01:58It almost feels like another road game, and we needed to get that one. We didn't, and so there was frustration in the entire locker room,
02:07and, you know, to go into that Utah game last night at 9-9, I think we all felt like we should be at least, you know,
02:14a couple games better, maybe even more.
02:17So there was probably a little of that frustration that factored in, but more than anything,
02:22it was just a game plan, you know, game plan mistakes that were happening, and we had to get that corrected.
02:28You know, we noticed, Steve, when that happened, and you kind of pulled everybody over to talk it out,
02:34pods did not go back in for the rest of the half. There was also a 21-0 run that then ensued.
02:43What was going into the decision-making process there? What did you see during that successful run?
02:48Well, he was back out there right after the timeout. I didn't take anybody out after the timeout,
02:55but at the top of the second quarter, I wanted a spark, and Pat Spencer is always a guy who gives us energy and flow.
03:02He throws the ball ahead. There's a really good rhythm that comes with when Pat's on the floor.
03:08So normally that would be a time when BP's out there, but I just felt like we needed something different.
03:14A spark, and Pat gave us that. Will Richard gave us that, and we went on a huge run and really got into a good rhythm there the rest of the game.
03:26How big is it for your team that the majority of that happened in what we call the non-staff minutes?
03:33Yeah, you know, a year ago when we got Jimmy, we were really good in the non-staff minutes,
03:39and we have not been as good this season. We haven't found our rhythm with the second unit around Jimmy,
03:48and so it was good to see that happen. It's one of the benefits of having Jimmy Butler.
03:54You can play through him at any time, whether Steph's on the floor or not.
03:59And so I know we're better than what we've shown to this part of the season,
04:05but, you know, we've got enough talent to be able to play well, you know, whether Steph's on the floor or not.
04:13Obviously, we're going to be at our best when he's out there, but we should be more consistent when he's on the bench.
04:19Steve Kerr with us here at Willard and Dibbs, as he is every week, 95.7 The Game.
04:22Steve, can we get quick injury updates on Jonathan Draymond and Al Horford and what the plan is right now?
04:30Yeah, so Al's out all week. Draymond is questionable for tomorrow.
04:36He practiced today and felt a lot better, so I think there's a good he plays tomorrow.
04:43Then J.K. got his first three-on-three in since the knee has kept him out over the last couple weeks.
04:50So he will play five-on-five tomorrow. He said he felt a lot better today,
04:55and so the hope is that he would be ready for Saturday, but, again, we'll just keep it, you know, keep it day-to-day.
05:03Definitely out for tomorrow, though. That's already listed.
05:07So, Steve, I want to let everybody who's listening hear this again, or maybe they haven't heard it,
05:13because there is, like, I don't know, there's some thought around this, maybe the mystery of the Jonathan Kaminga injury.
05:21A week ago you were on this show saying you thought maybe he'd play in Miami, and now it's kind of lagged a little bit.
05:27Sunday at practice, here's a little back and forth with regard to the situation.
05:31Did Jonathan practice?
05:33Kind of. He did a few things, yeah.
05:36Is he just any sense of his time?
05:38I don't know where he's got to tell you where he is.
05:40I mean, he didn't do anything.
05:43We didn't do scrimmages, but we did live drill work, and he barely did any of that.
05:50So not moving well.
05:51So training staff is working with him.
05:54I have no idea when he's going to play.
05:56So, like, I don't want to put thoughts in your head.
05:58To me, you sound a little frustrated there with that subject, so I want to let you speak on it.
06:05What were you feeling in that conversation?
06:09Well, it was frustrating to say day-to-day for two straight weeks.
06:17Yeah.
06:18And then continue to get asked about it because it's day-to-day, but not really having a definitive answer.
06:27But the training staff, you know, they're doing their jobs, and it was just tough to know what was going on.
06:37But that's why it was great to see him out there today scrimmaging in the half court and feeling better.
06:45I think he's finally getting through there.
06:47But, yeah, there's frustration sometimes when there's not, you know, clarity in terms of what's happening with an injury.
06:55And that was just the case, so I was a little frustrated by that.
06:59Yeah.
07:00And just to allow you to dispel something that I'm sure you know is kind of out there because of all the history with Jonathan Kaminga.
07:07You know, when people see something like this, there's a lot of people going, hey, is Jonathan – is this more than just an injury?
07:15Is there some frustration on his part with whether it's starting or minutes or whatnot?
07:20What's your response to that thought?
07:24You know, I've spoken with J.K.
07:27We talked on the trip, you know, after he went out.
07:32You know, we spoke in Orlando for a while before the game.
07:35And so we're on the same page.
07:38You know, we're both trying for the same thing.
07:43You know, there's always frustration for players, you know, when they go out of the starting lineup.
07:49That's not unique to anybody.
07:51So that was part of the conversation, you know, coming off the San Antonio wins.
07:57You know, that we're going to continue to stay with what we're doing, but that that could change at any moment.
08:03And that's always my approach.
08:06If we're doing well, we're going to stick with it.
08:08And then we have to adapt and adjust from there.
08:12And so that's the case with – in this particular equation with J.K., when he does come back, assuming we're still, you know, playing pretty well,
08:24I'll bring him off the bench and he's got to earn his way back into the starting lineup, just like Moses had to do, you know,
08:32at the beginning of the season when he was out.
08:34And it's always the way it works, no matter who it is.
08:37What dimensions does he bring that you've been missing over the course of the last couple of weeks?
08:41Well, the – he's rebounded really well this year.
08:47And, you know, the ability to get by people and create an advantage offensively, you know, off the dribble.
08:54You know, we definitely could have used that in a couple of these games.
08:58But every player brings something different and it affects which, you know, lineups we put out there.
09:06And so it's always about the five-man unit.
09:11And so whoever's available, we just search for the best possible combo.
09:17Steve, your favorite thing tomorrow night, right, when the top scorer on the other team is out?
09:25Yeah.
09:25You know what?
09:26I don't think it applies in this game, though.
09:29You know, like there are games where, you know, the best guy is out and you worry about a letdown.
09:35There's no need for a letdown when you're playing Houston without Kevin because they're still an incredible team.
09:43They're putting up, I think, the greatest offensive rebounding stats in league history.
09:48They're rebounding over 40% of their missed shots, which is just an astounding stat.
09:55But they're a massive team.
09:57Like in the playoffs last year against them, they will play Shen Goon and Steven Adams together, you know, with Eamon Thompson.
10:04And get the three of those guys out there, it's no wonder they're getting every rebound.
10:10But they're a really unique team.
10:13And Eamon's done an incredible job over the last couple of years building their identity.
10:17They're physical.
10:17They're tough.
10:18And Shen Goon has become an all-star.
10:21He's one of the best players in the league now.
10:23So they're a formidable team.
10:25How would you describe the dynamic between your team and theirs, especially after the playoff series last year?
10:31Well, I don't – it's the first time I've thought about it, to be honest with you.
10:41You know, we don't really care much about what happened in the previous decade.
10:48We know we've seen them in the playoffs a lot.
10:51And we've had our way, you know, over the years.
10:55But this is a different team.
10:57And our team's different.
10:58Their team's different.
10:59New year.
11:00So all that stuff goes out the window.
11:02With Al Horford likely going to be out for the week, as you mentioned, and Draymond coming back off the mid-foot sprain, hopefully he's able to go.
11:09What do you do to try to roll out enough big people to try to counteract Steven Adams and the aforementioned Shen Goon?
11:16Yeah, so Quentin Post and Trace Jackson-Davis both take on big roles tomorrow.
11:25They were both really good last night.
11:27And, you know, whether Draymond is out there tomorrow night or not, you'll see plenty of Quentin and Trace.
11:35Steve, I'm always fascinated because coaches – you hear coaches often, you know, preach defense.
11:41This is in every single sport.
11:43So it caught my ear over the weekend when I heard you say that you thought the defense was fine and that you were more concerned about the offense,
11:52especially when paired with Jimmy Butler's comments that we're not guarding anybody right now.
11:58So can you take us through why you kind of feel the way you do with regard to what the concerns are in your eye right now?
12:06Well, I thought the Portland game was a little bit of a one-off defensively.
12:12You know, even with all of our turnovers this year, we are like the 10th-ranked defense in the league.
12:21And the way I look at it, you know, once we are able to take care of the ball more consistently like we did a year ago,
12:32I think our defense becomes top five.
12:35I just think it's connected.
12:38And so that's why I said what I said.
12:39I mean, and it wasn't necessarily the case in the Portland game.
12:43I think we had 14 turnovers.
12:45So we did a good job taking care of it.
12:47It was the offensive rebounds that got us in that game.
12:51But my point is that over the course of the first 19 games, our defense has been better than our offense.
12:59Our offense is hurting our defense with the turnovers.
13:03And the numbers show it.
13:06We're 9-1 now when we win the turnover battle.
13:10And we're 1-8 when we don't.
13:12So what should I be more worried about, our offense or our defense?
13:15Probably the offense.
13:16When you look at the turnover problems, what do you see as the underlying theme that has maybe contributed to the reason why you have turned it over so much?
13:27Well, the things that the coaches are focused on that we can help them with is spacing and cutting.
13:35If you have a pattern that you're used to and guys are where they're supposed to, that makes decision making a lot easier.
13:42So from our standpoint, it's getting them better organized.
13:47From the player standpoint, it's decision making.
13:51So, you know, we show clips every day and we tell them that we will do a better job here, but you guys have to do a better job there.
14:00And it's always a collaborative effort.
14:01I just think that over the years we've been a pretty wild team, you know, and that wildness at Chaos has been really successful for us because we've made more threes in other teams.
14:15We've played faster.
14:16We've had Steph and Clay and Kevin Durant.
14:19And forcing a fast tempo with the three best shooters on earth is a pretty good plan.
14:27So we've always lived with turnovers.
14:29But the point we're making to our team every day now is the league's different.
14:33Everybody else is playing just as fast or faster than us.
14:37Everybody else has a million three-point shooters.
14:39And if we turn it over today, in 2025, we're really vulnerable, whereas seven, eight years ago, we could get away with it.
14:50Steve, your staff has produced yet another head coach, Chris DiMarco, who's been there for so long, longer than you, in fact, has accepted the job with the New York Liberty and the WNBA.
15:01And we'd just love to hear your thoughts on that.
15:03Well, unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to speak about it until the Liberty, sorry, he's no pun intended.
15:14That's beautiful, Steve.
15:15Until they make an announcement, Raymond Ritter has informed me that I am not allowed to comment on that job.
15:26And, you know, so we'll wait for the official announcement, and then I'll give you all my thoughts.
15:32Okay, the hypothetical here is he goes from the greatest shooter of all time to possibly coaching the second greatest shooter of all time.
15:41Hypothetically, yes.
15:44Just, you know, in a vacuum, anyway.
15:47How about if we ask, like, you know, your thoughts on what Chris DiMarco, you know, brings to your staff right now?
15:56Well, he's one of my closest confidants.
15:59I literally talk to him every day, and, you know, the fact that he's worn so many hats for us has led him to this point.
16:12When I got here, he was in the video room.
16:16You know, Bob Myers recommended that I keep him because he had been so impressive the last year or two under Mark Jackson.
16:23And I interviewed him and loved him, and he became an advanced scout that first year.
16:31So he was out on the road traveling and, you know, getting us prepared for our opponents.
16:37And he's just, since then, he's done kind of everything.
16:40He was our player development director.
16:42You know, he and Jerry Stackhouse are really our defensive coordinators together.
16:48And he's been the head coach of the Bahamian national team over the years.
16:56He's worked his way up the ladder, and he's developed an incredible skill set being able to coach both sides of the ball.
17:04So he's also a fantastic guy and a great, great coach, and he deserves this.
17:12Hypothetically, it would be a pride point for you to have somebody go out and get a job from your staff.
17:17But how do you, as the head coach, try to adjust the roles and maybe, hypothetically, account for the brain drain that could possibly, in theory, leave the building?
17:28Yeah, I think all that is hypothetical.
17:34Hypothetically, what are you doing on Thanksgiving, Steve?
17:43Hypothetically, I'm going to spend time with my family, but they have to want to spend time with me first.
17:49So we'll have to see if that's the case.
17:52But, no, we're hosting at our house.
17:54My youngest son is up from L.A.
18:00My other two kids live here in San Francisco, so we'll all be together.
18:04We have some other family coming in town, and it's great.
18:07You know, it's one of the first things I look for in the NBA schedule every year when it comes out in August.
18:13Are we home for Thanksgiving and Christmas?
18:16And this year we are for both, so we've got the good end of the stick.
18:21Are there any plans for the, like, are there any team activities that day at all, or are you guys, like, do the guys have the day off?
18:29Yeah, day off, and everybody just, you know, gets to be with their families.
18:33And a lot of guys have family in town, you know, having home games.
18:38It's a great opportunity for families to come in, watch a couple games, and be, you know, be with their kids.
18:44So that works out well.
18:47If there's only one item on a traditional Thanksgiving menu that you were allowed to have on Thursday night, what would it be?
18:58It's the stuffing that comes from inside the turkey.
19:01Okay.
19:01That's the best thing on the menu.
19:05You get the juice in there, you get the giblets, the possibility.
19:08Hypothetically, there would be some giblets there as well.
19:11It's awesome.
19:11Yeah, that's definitely my favorite.
19:18But I love Thanksgiving.
19:19It really is my favorite holiday, and it's going to be great to just be around a ton of family and watch some football and hang out and eat a couple of great meals.
19:34It's awesome.
19:34And what's the one Thanksgiving item that you're like, I don't care if somebody forgot to bring that?
19:38You know, I like the traditional cranberry sauce.
19:46I'm not thrilled about the bells and whistles in the cranberry sauce that some people like to do.
19:55You know, like, I just like the basic stuff from the can.
19:59It's from the can, and you remember when your mom used to, like, try to shake it out, and you had that, and then it just lands on the dish, and it jiggle, jiggle, jiggle.
20:08It's like, man, I miss that.
20:10The cranberry loaf, tough to beat.
20:13It's the best.
20:15Well, Steve, enjoy the heck out of the family.
20:17Beat the Rockets first, and then you'll have even more to be thankful for the next day.
20:23But thank you, as always.
20:24Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
20:27And happy Thanksgiving to you guys and to all our fans out there.
20:33Be safe, and we'll see you guys next week.
20:35Sounds good.
20:36Talk to you then, Steve.
20:38All right.
20:39See you guys.
20:39Okay, see you.
20:40There you go.
20:40Steve Kerr, head coach of the Warriors.
Be the first to comment